ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · mark · board · spring · ball · spell · trunk · fan

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — to get on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com